The Greatest Price for A GrownUp
by E. Veda W
Summary: No, Peter Pan did not go back to Never Land that night. Instead he stayed with Wendy and grew up. . .only to pay the greatest price of any grown-up. . .
1. Chapter 1

**The Greatest Price for A Grown-Up**

**Disclaimer: All rights to Peter Pan and the characters affiliated with the story of the boy who never grew up belong to J.M. Barrie.**

_**Peter Pan did not go back to Never Land that night. No. Instead, he stayed with Wendy in London. He knew he would have to wear a hat and tie, go to work every morning, and grow up. He never expected, however, that he would have to do the most grown up thing ever. . .**_

_Darling, _

_Hello. How are you? I'm sure you're keeping yourself busy. Have you made any friends since Tootles and Slightly have been sent home? I know you must miss them, just as much as I miss you. They do, however, send you their thoughts and wish you nothing but grand adventures while you are away._

_Do you remember those times, Darling? When we were nothing but mere children frolicking amongst the Never Bird and conniving plans against Captain James Hook himself? I remember them clear as day, and they only remind me of how much I miss you. _

_I have tried to resist mentioning that emotion to you and have been successful in every letter I've written except for this one. But I must mention it now for I bear good news. I am with child, Peter. Isn't that wonderful? There will be no more pretending to be parents over the Lost Boys, we will now be real parents, Peter. You father and I mother in reality at last!_

_That is why it is so important for you to come home, Peter. Tootles and Slightly tell me that the Twins, Nibs, and Curly, will not be returning to London. Please, Peter, life is too great of an adventure to release. You're so clever, Peter. I know you will be able to fly your way out of any conundrum you may encounter. Remember, Peter, the window will always be open._

_Love,_

_Wendy Moira Angela Darling_

Within the letter, Wendy sent a kiss, the only way she knew how for the time being.


	2. Chapter 2

That's right. Peter Pan did not renturn to Never Land the night he took Wendy, John, and Michael back to their nursery. He could not bear the thought of being apart from Wendy. He realized that he loved her and wanted to spend every minute of his life with her. Wendy warned him that he would have to grow up and wear a tie and hat and go to work to talk of official things like laws and numbers. Every time she brought this up, Peter reassured her that life was no adventure if she was not by his side. Wendy smiled in thankfulness and together, they grew up and married.

Wendy and Peter grew up with Curly, Nibs, the Twins, Tootles, and Slightly, the Lost Boys, as well. It was a joyous day for them when Peter and Wendy finally married (they were so excited to be part of the wedding). However, a war began to break out, World War II to be exact, and each of the Lost Boys was called to service, leaving Peter in the fog.

Knowing it was only a matter of time before he too had to leave, Peter made most of his time with Wendy. Then, sooner or later, Peter recieved a notice telling him that he was to be part of the Royal Air Force. They were in the nursery when Peter revealed the letter to Wendy.

"Well, at least I'll still be flying," he said to Wendy. Even though he was now a man, he still held the smile of a young boy.

"Oh, Peter," Wendy whispered through soft tears that fell gently down her rosy cheeks. "Peter, please do be careful."

"Wendy, I'm much too clever for anyone to catch me," said Peter. "Besides, you need a good fresh batch of stories to tell our kids when the time comes."

"Don't you want your children to know about Never Land, Peter?"

"Oh, sure," he said. His voice was soft as he looked out the legendary window.

Wendy approached him and intertwined her hand with his. "You miss it, don't you? Never Land?"

"Never Land is always with me, Wendy," said Peter, removing his eyes from the window and gazing into her own. "Every time I look into your eyes, I feel like that little boy that flew away with you that night. I haven't grown-up yet. I'll always be your Peter Pan."

They spent the night together one last time before he would leave the next morning. Wendy, already going through the scare of losing him several times during her visit in Never Land, was not willing to lose him again. She knew it was unavoidable, but the reality was still hard as they said their final goodbyes on their doorstep the next morning.

"Peter," she said, trying not to weep. They embraced each other. It was difficult for Peter to prey away her grasp, but it had to be done.

"It will be alright, Wendy," said Peter, his eyes sparkling with adventure and love. "When I come back, you'll have more stories to tell, all about me, of course."

"There you go. You've always been so conceited."

"Me? Never." He stared into her eyes for one last time before he would depart and gently placed a kiss on her cheek that was already soaked with salty tears. Awkwardly, he waved goodbye to her and joined the other men awaiting their journey.


	3. Chapter 3

Within a few weeks, Peter sent a letter to Wendy, explaining that he would be shipped to his station immediately after training. They usually did not do this, he explained, but the Royal Air Force was in great need of fighter pilots.

_"And who better to send into the air than me, Wendy?" _He had written in his letter, _"Me, the man who lived to fly in his younger years."_

Wendy knew this was true, Peter did love to fly, but she still wasn't sure he knew that this wasn't pretend anymore. So often while they had been growing up together he had slipped back into his pretend mode where everything was a game. Only when Wendy reminded him that this was real-life did he put down the knife or get off the roof. Tinker Bell, you see, was not with them in the real world. Being a fairy, it was too great of a risk for her to live among non-believers. Wendy had told Peter many times that Tinker Bell had not given him any pixie dust to fly with and therefore he would fall flat on his face if he would try to jump out of the window.

On the same day that Wendy recieved her letter, Slightly and Tootles came home from the war with the sad news that Curly, the Twins, and Nibs would not be coming home. They had been with all four of their Lost Boys brothers when they had died. Slightly and Tootles were let go because of injury. They news of Curly, Nibs, and the Twins, made Wendy's heart skip a beat, but Tootles and Slightly reassured her that Peter had been through a lot in Never Land. He would be fine with this.

"Don't you understand?" she exclaimed. "This isn't make-believe anymore. This is real life! Nibs, Curly, and the Twins aren't coming back!"

Apparently, they too struggled with the concept of reality at times, but Wendy's harsh words woke to them the fact that they were no longer in Never Land and, even though they could have died in their old home, it was not because of a grand adventure here.

She had also had a doctor's appointment that day because she hadn't been feeling very well. The doctor, amidst the sad news of the death of their friends Nibs, Curly, and the Twins, told Wendy that she was expecting. Feeling bittersweet about the whole situation, Wendy immediately began writing a letter to Peter to tell him of the good news.


	4. Chapter 4

The letter was sent to Peter, who could be found reading it late one night by candlelight in his bunk while his fellow soldiers slept. Peter ran his hand over his shaved head. He took his hand down quickly and stared at it. Sometimes, he forgot that his hair was so short. He had had shaggy hair every since he could remember, which was a very long time indeed. Moving his eyes back over the letter, a smile formed on his worn and chapped lips.

"A father," he whispered. "I'm going to be a father . . ."

He felt like flying. No more pretending. He really was going to be a father and Wendy could tell their child everything there was to know about the famous Peter Pan. Why would only Wendy tell of the adventures? Well, for Peter to tell of his own adventures would just sound silly. No, Wendy was always the story teller. That's how they first met anyways. Nibs, Curly, Tootles, Slightly, and the Twins could help, too! The thought of Nibs, Curly, and the Twins sent a sore pain through his chest. He wondered where they were. He didn't know what happened after death. Wendy had explained it to him loads of times, but he never quite understood.

_"So, you fly away, right?" he had asked, a bit confused one day when they were sixteen, sitting outside under a large tree._

_"Not exactly, Peter," said Wendy, playing with a nearby flower. "You just sort of . . .move on . . ."_

_"To where do you go?"_

_"I don't exactly know. They say you go to heaven, but . . . no one knows exactly what it's like. I suppose it's something you will only know about when it happens."_

_Peter lied down and put his hands behind his head as a cushion. "To die would be an awfully big adventure," he said, starring at a cloud passing over._

_"Peter," said Wendy, lying down next to him, "do you miss it terribly? Never Land?"_

_"How can I miss something when I see it every time I look into your eyes?" Smiling, he turned his face to meet hers exactly._

_"You've always known how to charm the ladies," said Wendy, turning away from him._

_He rolled over and whispered into her ear, "Wendy, one girl is worth more than twenty boys."_

_"Oh, stop it!" she said, rolling back to face him and playfully hitting him. She stopped once she saw his smile form into a bewildered look of long ago. "What is it, Peter?"_

_"Wendy, this isn't make-believe anymore, is it?" His piercing blues traced hers for an answer._

_"No, Peter. It's not make-believe anymore."_

_He smiled his childlike grin. "Good." And with that, Peter kissed her. It had been their first kiss ever since the time on Captain Hook's ship, but it felt exacty the same._

"Wendy," he said. He brought himself out of his minor flashback and scanned her writing once more on the letter before turning out his light and falling asleep.


	5. Chapter 5

**SN- I am not exactly sure how this sort of thing is done with the Royal Service, but this is how it is done in the States.**

Wendy waited for months on a reply from Peter, but one never came. More months passed and Wendy gave birth to a healthy baby boy, whom she named Peter. Slightly and Tootles were present for the tiny miracle. They were the ones who wrote to Peter to tell of the joyous news.

"Peter Daniel Banning," said Wendy, cardling her baby boy. "Wait until you meet your daddy. You're going to love him. He and I will tell you so many stories. We'll tell you about the boy who never grew up and about his Never Land. Wait until you meet him. You'll love him as much as I do."

Wendy came home with the baby and then one day while she was knitting a blanket for Peter Daniel, a knock came at the door. Thinking it was just Tootles or Slightly, she joyfully opened the door to let the guest in.

The greeter at the door, on the other hand, were not ones Wendy had wanted or imagined of seeing. They were soldiers of the Royal Army. Wendy put her hand to her mouth, trying to cover her scream for the time being as they handed her dog tags and a letter.

"We're terribly sorry, Mrs. Banning," one of the men told her. "We will stay with you until family comes." The two men led her to her couch in the sitting room.

Her lips quivered as she called Tootles and Slightly for their urgent appearance. While they waited, the men talked of Peter.

"Sorry, ma'am, but we did not personally work with him." The blonde one said. "But we always heard he was a fine solidier who was always willing to do what was right . . . they said he called everything an adventure."

"The men said he told them stories when they would get lonely or really afraid. He always mentioned how they were stories you told him when you two were growing up. He never hesitated to mention you," said the read head.

"Speaking of which, they sent this back with him." The blonde reached into his pocket and pulled out a black pouch. "They said he had it with him at all times. I don't really know what a man in a plane would need with this, but you would probably know."

The blonde man handed Wendy the thimble she gave Peter upon their first meeting. The same thimble she had given him in his letter. She grasped the metal piece and held it close to her heart.

"Thank you, " she managed to whisper.

At that moment, Tootles and Slightly burst through the doors, not even bothering to knock. The men left, leaving the small gathering to their lonesome.

--

The usual proceedings followed after Peter's death. Slightly and Tootles were with Wendy every step of the way. It was not uncommon to find the three adults sitting around the fire, talking of old times. Peter Daniel cried so much now, but every time she looked at him, she was reminded of her fallen husband. His bright blue eyes were exactly like Peter's. The hair that was timidly growing on his round head was identical to his father's.

"Oh," she said one evening, while rocking Peter Daniel to sleep, "if only you had met your father . . ." She allowed her tears to fall now. There was no use in trying to stop them anymore.


	6. Chapter 6

Several months passed, and young Peter Daniel was almost a year old. He was growing so fast and was becoming just as wild as his father. It had been a year since Peter had died. Wendy thought of him every day.

"Oh, if only your father were here to see you now," Wendy told Peter Daniel as she lay him down fro a good night's sleep. For some reason, he did not like the dark, so Wendy turned on his night light. She peered at her baby. "Don't worry, my love. The night lights are a mother's eyes watching over her children." She leaned forward and gently kissed his forehead. "Goodnight." Before she left the room, she walked over to the window that changed everything and longingly stared out. She cracked it open ever so slightly. "It's always open, Peter," she whispered to the stars. "Always."

And it had been. Every day and night since Peter first left for the war, she had left the window open. Not just out o habit, but as a signal that one day he may come back. Wendy was not a silly girl anymore, she knew that once someone was dead, they normally didn't come back. But she couldn't help but have faith.

Wendy went down the stairs to her living room, and, making sure she had a nice warm fire, continued her evening by writing in her journal. It had become a usual nightly routine that after putting Peter Daniel to bed, she would write in her journal. This journal was no ordinary journal, however. It was more like a keepsake of all her memories of Peter. Every bit she could remember she put down onto the pieces of paper.

She was so engrossed in her work that she thought a loud thump was nothing but her own imagination getting the best of her again. So many times she had dreamt that Peter was sleeping beside her in her own bed, only to awake to no one. However, when she heard the cries of her baby boy, Wendy immediately shot up from her seat, grabbed a candle, and ran itno her son's nursery.

Frantically opening the door, Wendy shouted, "Peter!"

She almost dropped the candle when she saw the beings in the room. There was a boy, not more than eleven or twelve years old, that had been peering at her son from over the top of the crib. He was wearing clothes of the forest, his body still sticky with sap, as she could tell from the bright light that circled his head. He was about to run from her, jump out the window when he saw her coming, but stopped once he heard her shout.

He turned back to face her and Wendy gasped. It was only then that she noticed her son was not crying or screaming, but laughing. He was laughing a high pitched squeal. It was the first time Wendy could ever remember him laughing.

"You called my name," said the boy, now standing directly in front of the wide open window.

"I . . . I . . ." She looked from the cradle to the boy she knew all too well standing before her. "I . . . " She did not know how this could be happening. Peter was dead. He was gone. The only thing she had left of him was a thimble and her son.

"Peter," she faltered. She stepped closer and he stepped back.

"I thought he was crying," said Peter, now gazing at the baby. "I thought he had fallen out of his crib."

"No, he's quite alright," said Wendy. A tear trickled down her cheek.

"Why are you crying?" asked Peter.

"I have told our . . . my son," she pointed to the crib, "so many stories about you. I had hoped you would come to visit him."

"Then I shall take him to Never Land with me," said Peter, now simply glowing with joy. "He shall become a Lost Boy with the Twins, Curly, and Nibs."

"He's much too young to be a Lost Boy, Peter," Peter's smile faded. "Perhaps when he's older you can take him there for a little time, but . . . I really do wish to have him back.

"Then I will come back." He turned to face Wendy. "You will leave the window open?"

"Always," she said in a whisper.

Peter smiled a full mouth of baby's teeth before he climbed to the window.

"Peter, wait!" Wendy rummaged in her pocket for a metal piece and grabbed her son on her way to the window. She reached the window, and watched as Peter Pan floated before her. "Take this," she said, handing him the thimble.

"A . . . kiss," he said, taking the thimble from her. He looked at her curiously. "I suppose I shall give you one, too." With that, he took an acorn off his garb and handed it to her. He did not know why he gave her a kiss. It just seemed like the right thing to do.

"Thank you, Peter," she said.

He stood frozen in the air as they just stared at one another for some time. His vibrant blue eyes showed that of confusion and wonder. He looked as if he knew he was to remember something, but what he was to remember, he was not sure. He waved goodbye and, slowly at first, flew away, the golden light flying right beside him. Wendy stood at the window watching him until she could no longer make out a body. All she saw was a shooting star.

The End.


End file.
